Companies losing devices with crucial data

Altogether, 50% of all businesses have lost a mobile device containing important corporate data

Half of companies admit they have lost a device containing important company data, causing security implications for over a fifth of organizations, a new study has shown. Additionally, 57% of employees believe that bring your own device (BYOD) puts their personal data at risk as well.

However, despite these concerns, the study from Varonis, a provider of data governance software, revealed that 86% of the workforce are obsessed with their devices, which includes smartphones, tablets and laptops, and would struggle without them.

According to the findings, almost three quarters of employees are now allowed to access company data from their personal devices. In fact, regardless of whether they were in a BYOD-approved environment or not, employees equally appear to be device obsessed, with 86% of employees using their devices for work all day and night, with 44% doing so even during meals.

Additionally, 20% of respondents consider themselves border-line workaholic, with 15% taking their devices on holiday with them, and 7% claiming that their work and home lives are one.

The growing trend to work remotely is likely to have an impact on breaches and data leakages as mobile devices continue to have major security implication, claimed Varonis. Half of respondents to the survey stated that someone within their company has lost a device with important company data on it, and over a fifth admitted that a lost device had created a security implication for their company.

The study found that implementing a BYOD policy seems to have a small but positive effect on security, with a 5% drop in incidents at companies that have a BYOD policy.

By far the most popular method to secure mobile devices is password protection (57%), followed by 35% who wipe devices remotely, and 24% who use encryption.

Surprisingly, employees were not just concerned with their organisation's security, showed the survey. A hefty 57% believe that using a personal device for work could pose a security risk to them personally through potential leakage and misuse of confidential health and personal information.

At the same time, productivity drain is greater for companies that allow BYOD, with nearly a quarter of employees stated that they spend more time than they care to admit using their personal device for personal use during work hours.

'Being connected to work around the clock appears to be accepted as the 'new normal',' said David Gibson, VP of strategy at Varonis. 'While organisations are capturing the many benefits of BYOD, and the willingness of the workforce to embrace this style of working, companies must protect themselves by developing a BYOD policy that lets people know what is and isn't allowed, making sure controls are appropriate to the risks, so if the data is valuable, organisations need to control where it resides and who has access to it, need to be able to audit use, spot abuse. Also, by monitoring the effects of frequent interruptions and 'always on' habits to watch for signs of impaired productivity or health.

'Only by limiting the potential damage, both to organisations and employees – can organisations make the most of a trend that will continue to leap forward, whether businesses allow it to or not,' Gibson concluded.

About Smart Chimps

Smart Chimps is the creation of freelance editor, writer and media trainer, Heather McLean. Heather has been involved in telecoms journalism since 2001, specialising in mobile since 2002. Find out more